Euphoria
by sweetmari
Summary: A story of how Numair's and Daine's son Rikash gets mixed up in problems in Tyra and how much trouble Rikash has with a strange girl. Please note that this will be sequel to Intervention of Divine Power. So please...read it first.
1. Chapter 1

**Prolog **

On the field in the middle of the knee-high grass, not far from the large building, a girl stood in the light rain. Her long black hair stuck to her face. She stood with her eyes closed, face turned skyward, trying at all costs to close out the sounds of children who hurried past her, searching toward dry conditions. The moment she reached up and stroked her bangs to the side, a large golden lightning cracked across the sky. It jog over her head and exploded into the ground behind her. The girl stood still, and she did not notice that it had nearly hit her. Her black clothes were soaked in seconds, and rivers of water began to trickle down her skin. She held out her hands towards the infinity, from the known, the protective, toward the sky. The movement got the rolling dark clouds to open up and torrential rain began. She opened the hazel-brown eyes in the pale white face that flashed with their own lightning, and noticed each drop running down her cheeks.  
She stood alone in the middle of the field in the heavy rain surrounded by mist that boiled from the ground beneath her bare feet.

"Euphoria!" A voice interrupted her precious silence.

She turned around quickly and found that she was no longer alone.

**Chapter 1 – The Tower**

Rikash stood at his parents' tower, about half a day's ride from his aunt Alanna's home. It had taken him a long time to get this opportunity, with many endless discussions back and forth. Most discussion had been with his father, Tortall's most powerful mage, a black robe, and sometimes quite annoying overprotective. Numair Salmalin, had been hesitant, almost reluctant to hand over one of his rare books, with old ancient incantations to his own son. It had taken several days of noisy discussions, followed by accidental magic bursts, slamming doors, and not to mention countless warning glances from his mother to him and the black robe mage before Numair Salmalin had surrendered.

At the age of 16 years, almost 17, Rikash were accustomed to a weird life. His mother, half goddess, with wild magic, had the properties to be able to communicate, heal and transform into most animals. She was known within the palace walls, to have saved the country countless times, but was also known for the fuss she could create. Problems had a knack for always finding her and his father. He remembered, laughing, how his youth had been, as he led his black stallion toward the small shed. It had not always been easy to be the son of two famous and unique people and it had certainly not been better that his sister had inherited their mother's wild magic. He opened the heavy stable door and pulled the horse inside in the shade. The smell in here reminded him a lot about how his mother always smelled. First, there had only been a barn with room for his father's horse Spot, but it had sadly passed away with Cloud a few years ago. It had happened a few months apart, and his mother and father had been extremely unhappy.

Rikash shook his head to clear the brain, it was not the right time to remember the sad memories. He ran his hand down over the long mane of the horse, which had come to be his by accident. It had happened when he had been 12 years old, and the Queen's mare had given birth to this beauty. He had been in a fight with a couple of pages, and had taken refuge in the stables, knowing that if the boys were to attack him there, all the animals would come to his rescue. And this day had been no exception. He had taken flight from the ballad, after he had cast a spell against the boys. What incantation he done that day, he could not remember. The result was, however, that all of his attackers had been dyed blue from top to toe.

It had caused the boys to stop chasing him for a while, but he had known that they would return with more vengeance.  
It had not been his intention, and the subsequent scolding didn't make the hole thing better. He had been stored inside the box where the queen mare had stood and the foal had decided that it was obviously a new playmate, who had come to visit.

He had from that day gained a quite unsual companion in the form of a little black foal, that on wobbly legs ran after him wherever he was. His mother, Daine, was amused of this odd couple, because when Rikash had sat for teaching, the stallion faithfully waited in front of the door to the room where both teacher and pages had found themselves in. This had been going on right up until the horse had become too big.

The day, the other boys thought that the truce was over, had started a small nightmare for Rikash. He remembered only too well, as he stood here in the barn and groomed Shadow. As a 12 year old, Rikash had been quite talented, more than his companions, and he had had the pleasure of mastering all the magic challenges to complete without errors. This had led to some teasing about him and his parents. It was at that time he had heard the first rumors that his father had slept with his pupil, Rikash mother, and all he had taught her was bed tricks.

These rumors had led both him and his sister to some violent tantrums. Rikash, handed down after the hoof and began to remove the pebbles that was stuck. His mother would never forgive him if he did not do things properly.

Rikash was finally finished in the barn and went toward the only door that was in the tower. He stopped for a moment before he took the handle. This door was not locked with a normal key, but there was woven a unique lock spell over it. He could clearly see traces of his father's black magic, there were places where some mysterious signs were more visible than others. This was not a door, a stranger wanted to break through. Here was a spell that would make unauthorized to see the sun, moons and stars the rest of their lives. Rikash took the knife he had hidden in his boot, and pricked his finger. He didn't much like to see blood, and had never been a major fan of this red material, but it was the only way to access. A drop of his blood, which were tied together with his mother and father would give him access.

The door opened with a long creaking. It had been some years ago when his father had been at this location last. Rikash swung the two saddlebags over his shoulder and walked into the dark room. Here at the bottom of the tower everything was dark. He let his magic flow from him, a bright light, that was a mixture of black and bronze filled the room. It revealed a thick layer of dust over everything and on the stairs. It was bad. He went up the stairs and left fine deep imprint on each step. The tower was divided into four levels, the first thing he came up to was the kitchen. The dust was everywhere. He went up and came to the floor with the bedroom. Also here it needed cleaning. He let the two bags fall from his shoulder and down onto the bed. When it landed, there was a big dust cloud around him. Rikash went to one window, and then the next and opened them. The fresh air hit him, and he stood for a moment and looked at the view.  
The next floor took him to a completely different universe when he came in, there was not a speck of dust to find and the dust grains that were stuck in his white loose shirt broke away and flew out the door. As if they had been denied access and disappeared the same way he had come in.

"It's just typical him," said Rikash for himselve.

The entire room was filled with books, small cards, large objects that glowed faintly of old magic. Rikash had waited so long for this opportunity to gain access to this treasure.  
First there was a task to be overcome, one he didn't wanted to.

Cleaning.

* * *

"Euphoria!" A voice interrupted her precious silence.

She turned around quickly and found that she was no longer alone.  
Before her was a dark-skinned woman. For Euphoria, this woman was the closest thing she had to family. She had lived with this woman always, as long as she could remember. Euphoria had always compared the woman who now stood before her, to a mountain.

"Why do you always bring yourself into trouble?" Boomed the big mountain in front of her. The woman put a blanket around Euphoria's shoulders to warm her.

"What do you mean, and why do you always call me that, I hate that name!?" Euphoria looked defiant up and into the brown eyes, the woman had.

"Come on Euphoria, you know very well why, and that is the name I will always call you!" The woman scolded her as she gently but firmly led the sopping girl up and into the house.

Euphoria sighed. This was the never-ending reminder of how she had come to live. She knew through the countless stories the woman, Carolyn, had told her over the years. Like all the others, she also had a prehistory. The only difference was that the other kids knew that their parents had died, with her the cause was another. Euphoria walked with heavy steps beside Carolyn, and enjoyed secretly the feel of pulsating pace under her bare feet.

"You know you're scaring the other children?" Carolyn pushed Euphoria in front of her and they ended up in the large room where the fire burned in the fireplace.

"Yes, I know" replied Euphoria first guilty and then continued happily "But I love the rain!"

"Yes, yes ... that statement I have heard since the first time you slipped away from me, and ended in a downpour just as vehemently as this" Carolyn threw out her hand against the storm, to emphasize her words. Inside the other children sat around the large square table. "Now go and get some clean clothes, it is soon time for lunch." Carolyn let her shoulders go, and moved towards the cauldron.

Euphoria noticed how her stomach growled by hunger. She went up the stairs and pulled a long belt of rain after her, across the floor. She wished fervently that she could be allowed to eat alone. Having to sit with the other children, who didn't resembled her in any way, was terrible. She reached her room, the small room was filled with a bed, a desk and a chest of her things. She went and knelt down in front of it. With the lid opened, she took the threadbare flaming red carpet. She held it up for herselves and hugged it to her. The only connection to her mysterious past.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Intruders**

It was night. The light from the moon stood in between the nearly contracted curtains that had seen better days. Maybe it was what had awakened her, or maybe it was the feeling of unrest. Euphoria sat up slowly in her bed. She had been the last to lie down beneath the warm blankets when she was the oldest of all the children. She was also the one who had room furthest away, yet she had a feeling ... of what?  
She pushed the blanket aside, and put one foot against the rough floor ... in the dark her feet searched after the little slippers, and found them. Her hands searched towards the headboard and found her robes, in a move she had risen and stood completely still on the floor. Was that voices she could hear? She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she gently moved across the floor toward the door ... a male voice?  
Euphoria stopped abruptly. As long as she could remember, there had never been an full-grown man in this house. It was something Carolyn had strict rules about.  
She opened the door cautiously and took the first step out, into the corridor. Here on each side, there was rooms close up against each other. She grabbed the first door neighbor to her own room and opened it carefully. Euphoria could see that the small new arrived girl, Eisa, was asleep ... Euphoria shut the door again. She stood still and listened. It was not just a man's voice, she could hear several voices mingled, almost as if they were discussing, suddenly she could recognize one of them ... a woman ... Carolyn.

Euphoria walked slowly toward the open ledge with railings. From there she could see who was talking to Carolyn. She stopped abruptly when she heard her forster mother scolding ...

"Stop it!" Euphoria heard Carolyn hiss.

Euphoria listened, whatever happened it stopped on the orders from Carolyn. She continued. When she reached her goal she sat squatting and leaning forward. From this angle, she could see directly down towards the big long table they ate at. For each centimeter the scene appeared ... a man sat at the end of the table ... in front of him stood Carolyn, who with arms folded. A posture Euphoria knew too well. This was how you could see on Carolyn, that arguments was useless and possibly battle was almost always lost in advance when Carolyn was standing such. It was a signal from Carolyn that she was just as steadfast as a mountain.  
Euphoria crept farther ... the man in the chair was not alone. There were several ... many more, she noted with incipient horror. She counted and reached to 15 .. she jumped in fright when the congregation before her burst out laughing. The man in the chair had said something funny and this had gotten Carolyn to take a step forward, so Euphoria could finally see his face. She had seen the large corpus, with the big belly and hands that played with a knife ... but his face had been hidden.

The eyes ... Euphoria focused on his eyes. Where had she seen them before? She had not seen the man before, that she was quite sure of ... but those eyes were fixed on her foster mother. Euphoria seemed to recognize the man. She crept farther above the floor. She could not really hear what was said, only a few words she recognized. These men were clearly from Tyra.  
She moved a bit back when Carolyn moved a little bit. Now Euphoria could see the man completely. The close-cropped black hair, stood in contrast to the long black beard which twisted from his cheeks. Lips that were as thin lines, highlighted the strong nose that looked to have been broken several times. The large chest rose and fell at every breath he took. Euphoria let her eyes look down toward the floor, and dropped her jaw ... the man had only one leg, the other was replaced by wood. At that moment she raised her eyes, she met his, she knew his man from somewhere. She had been discovered ... and it was too late to retreat, and disappear.

"Well, what have we here?" Bellowed the man while he threw the knife down in the rough floorboards. He comment got the room to be quiet, only the sound of all the breaths could be heard.

Euphoria saw how Carolyn turned slowly, and she met her foster-mother's surprised eyes. Regret and vexation, could be clearly read in her face.

"What a little beauty you have hiddend, Carolyn ... when did you plan to introduce her?" Bellowed the one-legged man.

Euphoria ducked, she wished at this moment that she could turn into a mouse and run to the nearest hole and disappear.

"She is nothing ... let her be, Silurian ..." Replied Carolyn before she continued addressed this time to Euphoria. "Go back to bed ... immediately".

Euphoria stood nervously. As she was about to turn around, the deep voice came again ... the voice that belonged to Silurian.

"Euphoria ... What a beautiful name!" Exclaimed Silurian. "My dear child ... you came down to us, and let me see you"

Euphoria stopped. She cast a nervous glance at Carolyn. The always strong woman she had known all her life, shook her head ... Euphoria took another step away.

"Carolyn ...!" Cracked Silurian, "In this case, you have no choice ... and my dear Euphoria, come!" He threw out an inviting hand.

Euphoria stopped, she could look at Carolyn that her foster mother could not stop this man sitting behind her. She turned and walked cautiously toward the stairs.

"Yes, that is right, my girl ... Have you seen, boys! We have the honor to have a guest! "Stated Silurian, while he grabbed the large pot with water, and drank, the water from it flowed from his beard.

Euphoria looked down, the 13 steps that led up to the first floor of the house seemed like hundreds. When she finally reached the floor, she was greeted by big strong arms. Carolyn had received her, and led her slowly forward. They stopped both in front of the man.

"Hey ... Carolyn, you have certainly forgotten to teach the girl good manners" bellowed Silurian.

Euphoria met the man's gaze, and curtsied the best she had learned ... which was not much. When she straightened up, she lost her balance and was seized by her foster mother.

Euphoria felt her cheeks burned. She barely heard how the other men around her roared with laughter. She cast her eyes down.

"Quiet!" Shouted the man in front of her. "Can't you see that girl is being embarrassed" exclaimed Silurian afterwards.

Euphoria was breathing, and to her relief the men around her was silent on the command.

"Don't mind them, my dear ... they have no education and they would sell their own mothers if they could get to it." Explained Silurian, before he continued. "Come right up in the light so I can see you better."

Euphoria went up, but still had her eyes on the floor. She wished that she had closed her robe, she thought before she stopped.

The man in front of her stood cumbersome. "Look at me," he commanded.

Euphoria looked up slowly. The man above her was almost a half head taller than she was. She met his eyes. They were hazel with a green tinge. She did not like them.

"What a beautiful face, my dear girl ... how old are you?" Silurian asked gently.

Euphoria noticed how her voice failed her, the words that came out between her lips were a whisper.

"What ... talk higher, girl!" Exclaimed Silurian.

"I ... I'm 14, sir"

"14 .. did you heard that boys ... just in marriage age" Grinned the man in front of Euphoria, while he let his eyes slide down her body.

Euphoria wished again that she had closed her robe ... she felt as if the man's eyes could see in directly through the fabric of her nightgown.

She felt how Silurian put his big hand on her chin and lifted her face. He watched her impertinent, and she felt a bit like a prized animal that had been shot by a hunter.

"What a silky white skin, you have my dear ... you remind me of a child, I brought here just 13 years ago," growled Silurian, while he turned Euphoria's face from side to side. "Is this the girl?" He asked over Euphoria's head. He turned to Carolyn.

Euphoria as how her foster mother nodded very slightly.

"Yes ..."

Euphoria felt a spark of hope sprouts inside her. Was this man, her father? Had he come to take her home ... and perhaps he knew what had become of her mother. She spoke before she could stop herself. "Are you my father?" She asked hopefully.

Silurian turned abruptly, first with a serious look on his face as he laughed out loud. "Dad ... haha! No, my girl ... my offspring consists only of boys "He told, as he turned to the other men in the room and struck his hand against them. "All these ... is mine".

Euphoria ducked. It had been silly to ask, and she regretted it bitterly.

"If you're not my father, why are you here?" She asked. She knew that she would come to regret her words at some time, but curiosity took over.

Silurian pulled away from her and sat down. "I, my dear girl ... as I said, I came here 13 years ago, leaving ... you ... now I come again, and now I want what I left behind" he replied calmly.

Euphoria noticed how a cold feeling spread in her body. Carolyn put her arm around her. Should she leave all she knew, her foster mother and her friends ... even if it was only a few of the children who played with her, they were almost all afraid of her and of what she could do.

"Euphoria is not ready ... she is not going with you ... we had a deal, Silurian" Carolynsaid before she continued. "You agreed to come after her when she turned 16, not before."

"You knew..." Euphoria looked accusingly up against her foster mother. "Are you sending me away? ..." She felt the tears forced its way in. She felt betrayed.

"Euphoria ... I ... you ... do not have to go with him, there are two more years" Carolyn tried to assure Euphoria, while she still held on to her foster daughter.

Euphoria took a step away ... "I will not!" She stated stubbornly.

"My dear child ... you have no choice, I have not come all this way to turn back empty-handed ... also, as it happens my youngest son needs a wife and that's you." Silurian stood up and walked towards her. When Euphoria took a step further away, he grabbed hold of her arm. "You're not going anywhere."

Euphoria noticed how the horror spread. Her back hair stood up. No ... she would not do this. She moved her eyes away from the man who held on to her and looked at the door. It was blocked by two men. When had they moved? She turned her head and looked toward the door that led out into the garden. The way was blocked. She was trapped.

"Silurian ... let's talk about it!" It came from Carolyn, almost begging.

"There's nothing to talk about, Carolyn ... you knew that this day would come and we have a deal. That you would take care of her as if she were your own ... but that I would come and pick her up again. "Silurian began to pull Euphoria with him toward the door, where his two sons stood.

Euphoria began to resist. "Carolyn ... please, you can not let him remove me ... I belong here ... I do not understand it." Euphoria discovered that she was crying openly now. Panic hit her, they approached the door quickly. She turned her head and saw where her foster mother stood. Carolyn had buried her head in her hands. She would not fight for her, Euphoria realized slowly. She began to fight back, but it did not help. "No ..." she whispered begging.

The two men at the door went towards her and grabbed her arms. They held on tight. She resisted, but was led further and further away from her foster mother. What about her stuff ... the only thing from her past. She looked at Carolyn again and opened her mouth in a cry. "Carolyn ... please, help me".

The big woman shook her head and looked directly into Euphorias eyes. Powerlessness, was the only thing she could read in her foster mother eyes. "Please ... I want my stuff" she cried, not caring that the other children heard her. They had to wake up for her sake, just this once, they had to come to her aid.

As awakened from a dream Carolyn reacted. She walked between the two men, that now almost dragged Euphoria . "Stop it ... please ... let her pick up her things, then she will follow you, right Euphoria?" Said Carolyn as she held her hands in front of her.

Euphoria saw the two men first looked at each other, and then turn around to look at their father. She felt a relief when she saw how Silurian nodded. "You have to get down here right away, girl!"  
Euphoria nodded while his sons loosened their grip on her. She came on her feet again and put in a race before they got hold of her. She jumped up the 13 steps to the first floor, and ran as fast as she could toward her open door. She knelt down in front of the coffin and took the cloth bag, she had gotten some years ago. While she took things into it, she looked towards the door ... she heard heavy steps coming. She stood up. Euphoria looked at the door, the only way she had ... a thought struck her, not the only one. There was also the window. It was still summer, so she would not feel cold. Slowly she moved forward, she pushed the window up and looked down. There was a long way down and it was dark. She could not see the ground. With a quick glance thrown back to the door, she decided ... she had to flee. As soon as the two men came into her room, she threw herself out ... out into the night and into the warm air.

Something hit her feet, faster than she had expected. Earth ... she got up wobbly and found that she was only a meter below the window, she had jumped from. In the dim light from the moon and the light from her room, she saw to her fright at the ground had risen. Euphoria took a step forward and noticed how she lost her footing. She slid rapidly down the high cliff, which had risen and within a second she was on her feet again. Euphoria started running and noticed how the dew on the knee-high grass greeted her. She heard how the men behind her began to shout. They may still be in her room. Euphoria hoped that they would not discover all too quickly the mound of earth, she had left.  
She ran all she could and felt how her nightgown was heavy with moisture. She could not afford to stop, every second counted if she should get away from them.

"Euphoria ... stop!"

Euphoria was gathering pace when she heard her foster mother call her. In a distracted moment she lost her balance and fell, just as long she was. When she stood up again, she could not help but cast a glance backward. The garden in front of her was now bathed in light. Something more than the moon above her was producing light.

She could see that one of the men in her room now stood with one foot on the earth below the window. While Euphoria stood up she saw how the ground under the man disappeared under him and he fell forward and hard to the ground. Euphoria did not believe her own eyes as the marvelous scene scared her. She heard how Silurians son groaned. She was in the process of hooking the sack on her back, when she saw yet more men. Silurians sons had emerged from a door. One of them sent small luminous balls out over the garden. The sight scared her witless. Based on the stories she had heard, the only thing who had the ability to produce such phenomena was trolls. However, she had never met a troll before, she bagan to think before men began to shout again. They had discovered her. She turned and began to run again. Her lungs felt as if they were about to explode with every breath.  
Euphoria heard how the men were catching up with her. She threw a frightened glance backward and saw how one of the men had caught up with her. He was now only a few feet from her, she saw how he reached out to her and she felt how he reached to touch her shoulders. She had to turn her head again to concentrate on running ... she heard how the man behind her screamed. Scream got her to stop abruptly. She turned just in time to see how the man, who had touched her shoulder,was now fighting with grass that grew with frightening speed. Euphoria saw how the field almost swallowed the man. Once again, she started running.

Euphoria had completely forgotten that she was crying ... crying made it even harder to breathe. She had lost everything, it was certainly what she felt right now. Her home, her foster mother ... she could no longer rely on the only thing in her life that had made sense. Euphoria ran as fast as she could. She heard thunder rumble over her head. Before long cloudburst would come to comfort her. She felt something hit her leg and she fell. Euphoria started screaming. Her hands hit the ground and she felt again the calm and rhythmic pulse. A pair of hands closed around her arms and she was pulled off the ground. Once again she screamed ... she had been caught. Terrified, she saw the man in front of her put a white cloth over her nose and mouth. She hit and kicked her attacker, but noticed slowly how her arms became heavier and heavier. The surroundings in front of her was blurred ... the man who held the cloth disappeared and everything was dark.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

Rikash woke with a start. It was still dark. The entire room rolled and he felt how the first wave struck him, like it would strike a ship. While he lay in bed, in the high tower in the middle of the plain, he felt the room rocking from side to side. He sat up and grabbed the edge of the bed when the first seasickness struck him. In the darkness, he knew that not far from the bed stood a bucket. This he crawled quickly over to. He felt the next wave hit the room again. Seasickness was now at its highest ... Rikash bowed his head over the bucket and threw up. Kneeling on the floor, he let a ball of light produce and the next moment after, the room he slept, was in enlightened. With eyes struggling to adjust to the blinding light, he felt again the rolling sensation and prepared soon to be hit. The wave hit him hard and sent him to the floor ... moaning. The feeling disappeared a tiny moment, enough for Rikash to struggled up, he grabbed the table and leaned on it. What was happening? He felt the same way as for one and a half years ago, when he took the trip over to Carthak, to study at the university who had trained his father. Getting there had been the ultimate test for Rikash who had spent the entire journey, with his head hanging over the railing. In the seconds it took for the chilly salts drops had hit his face, he had regretted deeply that he had turned down his aunt Alanna's remedy for seasickness ... Rikash felt again the next wave and rushed towards the door that led out the only staircase in the tower. He needed to feel the earth under his bare feet and hands. He jumped down the steps in a race and hoped that he arrived in time. When he reached the door, the next wave hit him hard and forced him to his knees.

As the rolling sensation was over Rikash had only reached the stairs that led down to the ground, he now got up and walked carefully down the 5 steps. Rikash was finally grounded and felt the cool earth under his bare feet. He stood for a moment and let his eyes search the sky. He could barely glimpse the stars that gleamed faintly in the glow of the luminous ball, which had followed after him. In the moment he began to wonder about the 'attack', he was knocked over. His light ball over his head went off, he lost his concentration in the fall and Rikash reacted just in time to put his hands against the ground so his head didn't hit the ground ... the cold substance under his fingertips pulsed. Another wave was coming towards him ... Rikash pressed his palms to the ground and opened up the barricade, which limited his magical abilities. The earth beneath him rumbled... a few seconds went...the earth cried. He heard the cry in every cell of his body ... he should never have let his magic search into the ground. Pain hit him and everything went black.

* * *

The sun's first rays hit her eyelids. The was going to be a hot day, because the night had been warm. Her head felt heavy and she could barely feel her hand. It dotted strangely and Euphoria discovered that it was because her head was lying heavy upon it. She lifted it gently and turned. The substrate beneath her was pleasant and soft, and she had a thin blanket over her. Without opening her eyes, she lay quite still and listened to the surroundings. It was quiet, except for the birds in the trees that had begun to twitter in the dawn. Gently she lifted one eyelid and took in the ambient scene. She was in the woods, and she was not alone. Around her lay sleeping figures. Euphoria turned her head and looked to the other side ... she was surrounded by sleeping figures. There was no fire, it was not necessary. Euphoria sat up. In this position, she saw to her horror that she had been placed in the middle. She threw the blanket aside and rose gently. Euphoria was still dressed in her nightgown, but the fabric at the bottom was torn. Under her bare feet, scratched the rough wool. Gently she took a step forward and felt the faint pulse when her foot hit the ground. It was nice to be able to recognize the feeling and she felt more at ease.

Euphoria took another step. She had the opportunity to escape. It appeared to her that all men slept deeply. She took another step, and another. In the next step a startled scream escaped her. She had hit something invisible, something that sent pain through her body. Euphoria sprand back and looked nervously about. Had she awakened the men? She stood still for several seconds and listened. Quickly she sank down squatting, when the man in front of her turned his head around. She looked at him, but discovered that he still slept. Euphoria sat quietly as she watched the person in front of her. The man was a young boy, almost her own age, just a few years older. His facial features were square, the skin was darker than the one-legged man. Euphoria had not been near many boys in her life, because Carolyn had always accepted girls. The few times her foster mother had taken boys in, they had been only a few years old. The boys were the lucky ones, as childless families had always come from far away to retrieve and make the boys their own. Never girls ... only one girl had ever been collected ... and this girl was Euphoria. A thought struck her ... she was sitting in front off the son, who Silurian had intended her to be wife to. Euphoria pressed her lips together. She did not want to be the wife of anyone. It was time to consider the surroundings again. Where was the easiest way through the many men who slept scattered on the ground around her.

Euphoria stood up again. She walked a few steps to the right, away from the young boy, and took a step forward again. Another step, and another ... something invisible hit her again. She bit her tongue not to scream this time. What was it? Euphoria reached out and touched the static wall in front of her. She ran her hand a few millimeters across an invisible surface. She went slowly to the side, to the right with her fingertips. When she took the final step she saw to her surprise that she had ended up back at the young man. Euphoria looked back. She had come all the way around and had walked in a circle. She went back to the rough blanket and sat down ... she was trapped, and there was no escape this time, as there had been with the window in her room. She let her head sink into her hands to hide her tears, which now silently made their way down her pale cheeks. Just as quiet tears flowed slowly, the heaven above her opened and let its tears fall in sympathy. Euphoria welcomed the droplets, as the only consolation she could get in this hell she was in.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Dream master **

Pebbles cut his cheek when the first rays of the sun hit his face. Rikash slowly lifted his head. He lay at the foot of the stairs leading into the tower.

Dawn cast long shadows across the ground in front of him. The birds in the few trees that stood around the tower twittered welcome to the new day. He put his hands into the ground and pushed upwards to lift himself up in a more agreeable position.  
When he finally found a position that was comfortable and did not hurt, he felt how something wet was running down his cheek. Rikash took his hand up to his cheek and touched the wound. It was not deep, but needed to be cleaned. While he watched the red glistening fingers, he began to remember. In small backflashes he remembered the earth trembling beneath his hands, nausea that had been choking him, and not at least the scream that echoed through the ground.

Had there been an earthquake? He knew from his studies that it was extremely rare to Tortal to be hit, but it happened if there was little friction in the earth. He opened trying his hand to see if he could produce a speech ball so he could kontake his father, but in the palm the black fire flashed with a sprinkling of bronze. The ball hissed a few seconds, and died. He had drained himself of almost all power. There was no other possibility to get in touch with his parents in Corus. Rikash came staggering to his feet. He just managed to walk the few steps towards the stairs and through the door before he collapsed again. There was no possibility for him to reach the first level where he could get to drink something. His mouth felt dry and his crunchy tongue was stuck to the roof of the mouth. He had to wait until he had more powers. The positive was that he was now in the shade, thereby avoiding more dehydration. His aunt Alanna would be furious if he had been out in the rising sun. Rikash sighed as he laid his head on the bottom step and disappeared into dreamland.

* * *

Ganiel stopped abruptly and looked down towards the non-existent floor. The air in front of his feet had caught his attention. A picture formed slowly and showed little by little the silhouette of a young muscular man lying with naked torso against the cool floor in a tower. The blood on his cheek had begun to solidify and the area around the wound showed a slight green yellow color in the light brown skin.

Ganiel lifted his endless gaze and looked at the woman who stood before him. He bowed his head slightly in recognition and said, "it's time?"

The woman in front of him nodded.

"How should it be done?" He asked.

She pointed down at the picture in front Ganiels feet, prompting the long sleeve of the coal black dress to flaunt. A long slender and pale finger led Ganiels gaze back to the young man in the tower. The tall, slim and divine woman parted her blood red lips and moved them soundlessly.

Ganiel listened intently. "I see" he replied, as if to confirm the soundless words. "What about the girl?" He asked, opening his hand down toward the floor. In the not existing floor the air flickered and a new image appeared, which showed a girl sitting on a rye blanket with tears rolling down her cheeks.

Ganiel met the woman's green eyes. They were endless, but filled with knowledge.

The woman shook her head. The movement sent ripples down through the night black loose hair that reached down to the woman's hips.

"Not yet," whispered Ganiel for himself as an observation. A smile formed on his lips. "As you wish".

The woman in front of him flickered and was gone.

Ganiel bent down and looked impertinent at the two humans. He knocked the gray cloak aside and found a bag that hung on a belt at his waist. He opened it and turned it upside down. Out fell a gray shade that stood up and reached Ganiel to his knees. This gray material seemed to change shape every second and began slid toward the image of the young girl.

Ganiel grabbed his subject and pushed it in the right direction. "No ... not yet my dear."  
He pushed it toward the image of the young man asleep. "This is the one we need to concentrate on ... and behave properly" he scolded gently "it is important that we get this done right."

The gray material formed a head and rubbed it against Ganiel's palm lovingly.

The master of dreams smiled dreamily. "Shall we begin?" He asked, pushing the gray material into the picture, where it dropped down to the sleeping young man and landed on Rikash's head.

"You may begin" The king of dreams instructed.


End file.
